'Come on, let's just try it...'

As package tourists in Croatia

Those who know us know that all-inclusive is not really our preferred way of traveling. But with a child, everything is different, as they say, and we thought we'd give it another try (our first and only package holiday so far was with Air Berlin and Alltours to Mallorca and was characterized by embarrassment and bad booze - no thanks!).

Hoping for seven wonderfully relaxed days, without everyday routines and with a breath of fresh air, this time we went to Milna on the island of Brac, Croatia, located off Split. To our shame, we have to admit that all-inclusive led us to not owning a travel guide and therefore knowing absolutely nothing about our destination, nor did we know how we would actually get from the airport to the hotel until yesterday. So we googled our route as best as we could and let it come what may. If necessary, we would ask for directions and somehow find our way.

And off we go!

The night was surprisingly good despite the excitement and the previous miserable weeks. A really good prerequisite for starting off with a well-rested and consequently in a good mood child. And really - the effort of the journey was definitely not Ida's fault.

The 40-minute delay of our plane at Frankfurt Airport was made up for by a smooth flight with Air Baltic. During the flight, Ida was very relaxed, peeked out of the window, studied the on-board magazines, and occasionally entertained the other passengers with little songs. We flew a long way parallel to the coast - a really idyllic view of bright beaches, small towns, countless tiny islands in turquoise water, dotted with numerous sailboats like tiny white dots. Wonderful! We are on vacation!

From the airport, the airport shuttle bus took us to the harbor - we were there in 30 minutes, quickly found our ferry and bought the tickets. After a short wait, we sailed to the island for 50 minutes and then took a taxi to the hotel. That was the time-lapse - in fact, we didn't arrive at the hotel until around 6:00 p.m. and by now everyone was pretty exhausted.

'I think it's beautiful here!'

The hotel is located up on the hill and has delivered on its promises so far. It opened at the beginning of this year, with straight lines and simple design.

We have a bright two-room apartment, with a large, clean shower room and a small terrace; the beds appear comfortable and are equipped with air conditioning and blinds. There is German television (which is usually unimportant to us, but today after the election, it's not bad), and free Wi-Fi.

Ida carried her suitcase in by herself ('it sometimes slips out of my hand, but I manage somehow'), claimed her bed and had a little party. All right, the little tornado is happy.

For dinner, there was a buffet, where the bowls are refilled in small quantities and not wastefully, and where we definitely all got our money's worth:

Fried potatoes, breaded shark, onion rings, pork, a large selection of salads, tuna pasta, fresh fruit, roses and cauliflower (Lars was blown away by the cauliflower), rice, various types of bread, a small selection of desserts, and much more.

Stuffed full, we quickly rolled through the complex again and checked out the children's pool, which we will definitely visit tomorrow. Ida managed to get that promise out of us, otherwise we probably wouldn't have been able to get her away from there.

Even though the same 21°C were forecasted here as in Frankfurt, it seems much milder and warmer. We did everything right; now the relaxation can begin.